fighter jet news stories on Newser

Russians Hawk Jets to Syria Regime

Kevin Spak — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:41:42 CST

Russia is so unconcerned with the international outcry against Syria that it has reached a deal to sell Bashar al-Assad's regime three dozen Yak-130 fighter jets, a Syrian business newspaper reported today. The twin-engined jet is capable of attacking ground targets, the AP reports. Experts say the contract, which is...

Iraq Wants US to Sell It 36 F-16s

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:58:35 CDT

As the Dec. 31 US troop withdrawal deadline looms, Iraq is looking to purchase as many as 36 US fighter jets and other air-defense systems. The purchase, which will cost billions, could help cement ties between Iraq and the US and, Washington hopes, keep Iran at bay. The move comes...

China Hands Pakistan 50 Jets

Kevin Spak — Fri, 20 May 2011 09:03:05 CDT

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani finished his trip to Beijing today, and he’s getting quite the parting gift: 50 brand new JF-17 Thunder fighter jets. Pakistan and China have developed and built the JF-17 jointly, in a program dating back to 1999, but this batch will sport advanced avionics,...

Two Killed in California Navy Jet Crash

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 04:18:00 CDT

Two service members were killed yesterday when a fighter jet crashed into a field in central California during a training exercise. The F/A-18F Super Hornet went down a half mile from the Naval Air Station outside of Fresno. Witnesses said the $50 million aircraft disintegrated into "smoldering debris," reports AP...

10 Hurt When Jet Explodes on Aircraft Carrier

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 02:19:55 CDT

Ten sailors were injured yesterday when a jet engine burst into flames on an aircraft carrier off San Diego. Four men were airlifted to a Navy medical center and the rest were treated on the USS John C. Stennis. None of the injuries was life threatening. Officials are investigating the...

In South Korea, a Shadowy, Bumbling Tale of Espionage

Mark Russell — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:12:05 CST

This bungled attempt at espionage in Seoul sounds like a something out of a spy novel, writes the New York Times . Some 50 Indonesians were in South Korea last Wednesday to meet with President Lee Myung-bak to discuss the purchase of the T-50 Golden Eagle from Korea Aerospace Industries. But...

Fighter Jets Open Fire on Protesters in Libya

Kevin Spak — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:41:05 CST

Libya made good on its threats to get bloody today, sending fighter jets to fire on protesters in Tripoli, Al Jazeera reports, though it cautions that reports are difficult to verify because Libyan intelligence has shut down all landline and wireless communications. But two military pilots seem to confirm the...

China's New Fighter Ripped Off Downed US Jet

Polly Davis Doig — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 09:57:16 CST

China's got a brand-new shiny stealth fighter —and the country may want to drop Washington a thank-you note for it, reports the AP. Seems a US-made F-117 Nighthawk that was shot down over Serbia in 1999 attracted some attention in Beijing. And Balkan military officials and experts say that in...

Photos of China's Stealth Fighter Emerge

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 07:34:19 CST

The first clear photos of what appears to be a Chinese stealth fighter prototype have hit the Internet—and they're sparking concerns that China’s military modernization is happening faster than previously thought. The pictures, which many experts believe are authentic, appear to show a J-20 prototype performing a high-sped taxi...